Page 19 of Wolf's Endgame

“Pack Leader Bale.” Tugging the sheet over myself, I tried to appear demure. “Can I help you?”

He sat and watched me in silence until it was so drawn out that it was no longer uncomfortable, it was excruciatingly awkward. Gloves that had been on his knee were pulled on slowly. They weren’t latex and he had no need to hide his tracks if he killed me, so why he was pulling on leather gloves was as random as him sitting there.

I eventually snapped. “Bale? Do you want something?”

His slow smile and the way he ran his eyes over my body made me want to hide more of myself, but I willed myself to remain unfazed, even as my heart started racing. Moonstar came forward, and I felt her soothing presence.

He is testing us, child. You must remain calm.

Easy for you to say; he isn’t looking at your body like you’re a piece of prime rib.

Isn’t he?

Now I wasn’t sure who I was scared of most. The unhinged pack leader in front of me, or the spirit who wanted her independence within me. Unsure of them both at that moment, I pushed the sheet off me and got out of bed.

“If you’re here to stare and be creepy, Pack Leader,” I walked towards the bathroom, “you’ve achieved it. I need to pee.” Dragging the chain around the door, I took less care with the door this time as I closed it behind me, conscious that the man who openly hated me sat a few feet away as I forced myself to relax and empty my bladder.

After washing my hands, I stepped back into the bedroom. Bale remained where he had been, and as I had no experience with this kind of thing, I had no idea what to do.

What would Cannon do? Punch him and kick his ass. It was a tempting thought.

“My son is so desperate for a taste of your pussy. I’m surprised he hasn’t fucked you yet.”

Wow.

“Maybe he respects me too much to force me into something I’m not ready for.” I stood across from him, the bed between us, my back to the open door of the bedroom.

Bale’s lips twisted into a sneer. “Respects you?”

I matched his sneer. “I know it may be an alien concept for you, but most men like their partners to be willing.”

Bale leaned forward, his eyes narrowing into slits. “I see you.”

“I’m standing right here.”

“I see you’re as much of a teasing bitch as your whore mother was.” He leaned back. “She spread them for anyone as well.”

“But not you.” I should have stopped myself, but fuck him and fuck that. “Right, Bale? She rejected you each and every time.” Cocking my head, I looked him over with disgust. “Desperate, jilted psycho is not a good look for you.”

I watched his jaw clench before he looked at me with amusement. “So you know about your mother?”

Why lie, there was no point. “I do. I know you ran her and my father from the Anterrio Pack when she rejected you for the final time. When did you realize Kris and I were her children?”

“Kris? The minute I saw him.” He spat on the floor. “You? You took longer.”

“Because you never realized the wolf pup you shot was a shifter, did you?”

He scoffed. “No. I thought you were a pet. A stray. Andrea was always collecting fucking strays.”

Holy Luna, he just admitted that he killed my parents. I felt the tightness in my chest as the realization that the killer Kris had been looking for, for our murdered parents, had been right in front of him the whole time. Moonstar stood ready and waiting, and it took every shred of willpower not to succumb to her right then.

“Why did you accept us into the pack?” My voice sounded hoarse, even though I wanted to be strong.

Bale shrugged. “A moment of guilt? Kindness?” He broke eye contact for a moment, his eyes on the camera. “A weakness.”

“Making up for that now, aren’t you?” I raised my hand with the cuff of silver around my wrist. “Is my brother chained like this?” I took a deep breath. “Is Cass?”

Bale surged to his feet in anger. “She carries his young!” he seethed.

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